Structure for facilitating selection of one of a plurality of alternatively selectable control members



Sept. 17, 1963 .1. E. RHODES 3,103,803

STRUCTURE FOR FACILITATING SELECTION OF ONE OF A PLURALITY OF ALTERNATIVELY SELECTABLE CONTROL MEMBERS Filed June 27, 1962 F'lGJ REGULAR WASH WASH AND WEAR SPECIALS WHITE on NON sruan'r BELICAT woou-zus COLORFAST coLoRI-A HOT WARM WARM WARM WARM WARM WARM COLD COLD COLD NORMAL NORMAL NORMA SLOW SLOW NORMAL NORMAL SLOW SLOW NORMAL INVENTOR. J'OHN E. RHODES QQWW H15 ATTQRNEY United States Patent 3,103,803 STRUCTURE FOR FACILITATING SELECTION OF ONE OF A PLURALITY 0F ALTERNATIVELY SELEQTABLE CONTROL MEMBERS John E. Rhodes, Louisville, Ky., assigrror to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed June 27, 1962, Ser. No. 205,787 4 Claims. (Cl. 68-196) This invention relates to a structure for facilitating the selection by an operator of one of several alternatively selectable conditions in a device such as a clothes washer. More particularly, it relates to such an arrangement wherein the opening of a cover to provide access to the device for the insertion of articles into the device automatically causes the operating instructions to be readily visible and clearly interpreted.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide a structure wherein the selection of alternative conditions in a device for treating articles is facilitated tor the operator at the time the operator is inserting the articles into the machine.

In carrying out my invention in one form thereof I provide a treating device, such as, for instance, a washing machine, which has a plurality of aligned control members for selectively providing different conditions within the device. For instance, in connection with the temperature of the water used for washing clothes in a washing machine, three different buttons for alternatively providing hot water, warm water, or cold water may be provided. Each of these control members has an appro priate indicium associated therewith; in the example given, these would normally, as shown, be the words hot, warm, and cold although other indicia. such as colors, for instance, could be used.

The device is contained within a cabinet, and includes a container for receiving the articles which are to be treated, the cabinet having an opening to the container which is normally closed by a cover. The cover is movable between an open position to provide access to the container through the opening, and a closed position in order to cover the opening, as is usually desirable dure ing the actual treating of the articles. On a surface of the cover there is provided a plurality of aligned indicia which correspond to the indicia associated with the control members. In addition the cover has a second plurality of indicia, respectively associated with the first plurality and each indicating different articles to be treated. When the cover is its open position, the positioning of the first plurality of indicia is such that they become aligned with the aligned control members rand'thereby indicate clearly and quickly to an operator which control member should be used when a particular type of article is inserted into the container for treatment.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. My invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

- In the drawing,

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the top portion of a treating device, specifically, in the present case, a washing machine;

FIGURE 2 is a View similar to FIGURE 1 but also partly in cross section to illustrate some parts of the washing machine and with the washing machine cover in an open position; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the machine.

3,103,803 Patented Sept. 17, 1963 "Ice Referring now to the figures of the drawing, there is shown a washing machine, generally indicated by the numeral 1, in which a cabinet 2 has a top surface 3 in which an opening 4 is formed so as to provide access to a clothes receiving basket 5 positioned within the cabinet 2. conventionally, basket 5 will be perforated as shown and will be positioned in turn within a liquid receiving tub 6 which contains the liquid in which the clothes within basket 5 are washed and rinsed. An agitator 7 (also shown only in part) may be provided within the basket 5 so as to agitate the water and clothes to effect the desired washing and rinsing action. A cover memher 8 is mounted on the cabinet 2 by any appropriate means such as, for instance, hinges 9. In the open position in which it is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 the cover member 8 provides access through opening 4 to the basket 5 so that the operator may insert fabrics into the basket for treatment and withdraw them after the treatment is complete. In the closed position, as shown in FIGURE 1, the cover 8 closes the opening 4 so as to prevent any access to the basket -5.

Secured on the top surface 3 of the cabinet 2 by any appropriate means such as pedestals 10 is a control panel assembly 11 which includes the controls conventionally associated with automatic washing machines. The control panel is provided with all the appropriate controls for causing the machine to proceed through different cycles in which different conditions prevail within the machine according to the desires of the operator. It will be understood that this is quite often provided in automatic washing machines in view of the different washing requirements of different types of articles, depending upon their thickness, the fabric of which they are formed, their size, and other factors.

However, it is to be understood that, notwithstanding the variability of some conditions, the conventional washing machine normally proceeds through a complete cycle regardless of the type of clothing being treated. In a typical such cycle, it first washes clothes, then spins the wash water out of them, then rinses the clothes, and then spins out the rinse water, thereafter ending the cycle. This will readily be understood by reference to the control dial 12 shown in FIGURE 1 in which the predetermined washing time in minutes may be selected by the operator, and wherein a conventional timer (not shown) will then cause the machine to automatically proceed from the washing opera-tion into a first spin, then into rinse, then into another spin, and will then cause the machine to shut itself ofi. Such control devices and their operation are well known, and are therefore not described herein.

In addition to causing this sequence of wash, spin, rinse and spin, the four difierent steps may be provided under different conditions for the reasons described above. For instance, the wash temperature may prefer-ably be hot for some articles, warm for others, and cold for others. For white and colorfast articles, hot water is appropriate; for non-colorfast cottons and most synthetics, warm water is appropriate; and for certain lightly soiled synthetics, cold water may be a preferred medium in which to wash the fiabrics. The three aligned buttons 13, .14 and 15 alternatively provide these three conditions as shown by their indicia.

Similarly, it can be seen that two aligned buttons 16 and 17 (which are in parallel alignment to buttons 13, 14 and 15) marked warm and cold are providedfor the rinse temperature. In this connection, warm water has been found to be the best for rinsing operations where most cottons are concerned, While for special articles and articles of synthetic material cold water is usually the best rinsing is the vigor with which the water and clothes are agitated by agitator 7. Where the clothes are of relatively sturdy material such as cottons and many synthetics, a normal wash action in which a relatively high speed of oscillation of the agitator 7 is provided will be desirable. However, for the more delicate synthetics, such as many womens articles of clothing, and articles which tend to produce large quantities of lint such as blankets, a slower agitation should be provided. Aligned buttons 18 and 19 provide for this selection.

A fourth condition which can be varied in the machine is the rotational spin speed. Of course, the higher the spin speed the greater the quantity of water which can be extracted from any given article, but again because of the a delicacy of certain articles it is desirable to limit the speed at which they are spun. In addition, liquid is easier to remove from certain fabrics, such as most synthetics, as opposed to cottons and wools, and therefore low spin speeds are acceptable. To provide this selection, aligned buttons 20 and 21 are provided. It will, incidentally, be understood that selection of all these factors is well known in the art. In this connection reference is made to Patent 2,950,612 issued on August 30, 1960, to W. H. Hensh-aW, Jr., and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention. In the Henshaw patent, there is completely described and illustrated a washing machine in which selection is provided for either hot or warm wash water, warm or cold rinse water, normal or slow speed wash action, and normal or slow speed spin.

I provide on the inside surface 22 of cover 8 a set of operating instructions. These operating instructions consist of indicia which corresponds to the indicia on the con trol panel 11 and which align with the control members, or buttons of panel 11 when the lid 8 is in its open position as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Thus, for instance, with respect to wash temperature, the indicia hot, warm, warm, warm and warm are aligned with each other on surface 22, and in effect form a plurality of indicia. which correspond to the indicia hot and warm on the control members 13 and 14. Associated with each of the indicia on the cover is one of a second group of indicia indicating difierent types of articles to be treated. Thus, it will be seen that directly over the word hot on surface 22 there appears Regular Wash-White or Colorfast. Over the first warm appears Regular Wash- Non-Color-Fast; over the second and third warm appear Wash and Wear-Sturdy and Wash and Wear- Delicate and over the fourth warm appears Specials-- Woolens.

With this arrangement, it can be seen that soon as the operator opens lid 8 to load articles into basket the instructions as to which of the wash temperature control buttons she should depress are directly before her; the instructions on the cover move into alignment with the control members themselves for easy interpretation as an automatic and inherent result of the operator opening the cover 8 in order to load the machine.

The same will be seen to be true of the other three factors to be selected, that is, rinse temperature, wash action, and spin speed. To phrase it differently, a first plurality of indicia on the cover becomes aligned with a first plurality of control members on the control panel, a second plurality of indicia becomes aligned with a second plurality of control members on the control panel and so forth. In addition, in connection with each indicium on the cover there is associated one of a second group of indicia which indicates the type of article for which a particular condition in the machine provides the best results.

For instance, let it be assumed that a load made up primarily of womens nylon blouses and mens synthetic shirts is to be Washed. In such a case, the appropriate type of article would be Wash and Wear-Sturdy. When the operator opens lid 8 to load the washing machine the various groups of indicia on the lid become aligned with and adjacent the various groups of control members on the control panel. The operator will then see right away that warm wash water, cold rinse water, normal wash action, and slow spin speed should be provided for optimum treatment of such articles.

Such instructions appear only at the time of loading which is, of course, when they are needed. This leaves the control panel behind the cover free either for whatever decorative designs are desired, or for additional control members which do not need association with particular articles (such as, for instance, a light switch). In addition, the general appearance of the machine is not detracted from by continually having the operating instructions directly in view.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a simple method of providing the operating instructions in easily interpreted form and in a special association with the control members. It will naturally be understood that alignment with either the control members themselves or with the indicia associated with the control members is considered one and the same, and part of the same concept.

Thus, while in accordance with the patent statutes I have described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and m0difications, such as that mentioned above, may be made therein without departing from the invention. A further point which readily comes to mind is that while the in vention is described in particular relation to a washing machine because of its high degree of usefulness in such a connection, it is not limited to such machines; it may find usefulness in any kind of a treating machine wherein different types of articles may be loaded into the machine and will require different types of conditions within the machine during treatment. It is therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A treating device having a plurality of aligned control members for selectively providing different conditions within said device, said members having different indicia respectively associated therewith, a cabinet, a container within said cabinet for receiving articles to be treated, said cabinet having an opening therein for providing access to said container, 2. cover mounted on said cabinet and movable between an open position in which said opening is uncovered and a closed position in which said opening is covered, said cover having a first plurality of aligned indicia on a surface thereof corresponding to the indicia associated with said control members, said cover having a second plurality of indicia respectively associated with said first plurality of indicia and indicating different articles to be treated, said first plurality of indicia being positioned on said surface so as to be aligned with said aligned control members when said cover is in its open position, thereby to indicate which control member should 'be used when a particular type of article is inserted into said container.

2. A treating device having a plurality of aligned control members for selectively providing diiferent conditions within said device, said members having different indicia respectively associated therewith, a cabinet, a container within said cabinet for receiving articles to be treated, said cabinet having an opening therein for providing access.,to said container, a cover hingedly mounted on said cabinet and movable between an open position in which said opening is uncovered and a closed position in which said opening is covered, said cover having a first plurality of aligned indicia on the inside surface thereof corresponding to the indicia associated with said control members, said cover having a second plurality of indicia respectively associated with said first plurality of indicia and indicating different articles to be treated,

said first plurality of indicia being positioned so as to ,ber come visible and aligned with said control members when said cover is moved to its open position, thereby to indicate which control member should be used when a particular type of article is inserted into said container.

3. A treating device having a first plurality of aligned control members for selectively providing one of a first group of conditions within said device, a second plurality of aligned control members forming a parallel line with said first plurality and selectively providing one of a second group of conditions within said device, said first and second pluralities of members having different indicia respectively associated therewith, a cabinet, a conrtainer within said cabinet for receiving articles to be treated, said cabinet having an opening therein for providing access to said container, a cover mounted on said cabinet and movable between an open position in which said opening is uncovered and a closed position in which said opening is covered, said cover having a first plurality of aligned indicia on a surface corresponding to the indicia associated with said first plurality of control members, said cover further having a second plurality of aligned indicia on said surface corresponding to the indicia associated with said second plurality of control members, said first and second pluralities of indicia forming parallel lines on said surface, said cover having a third plurality of indicia respectively associated with said first and second pluralities of indicia and indicating different articles to be treated, said first and second pluralities of indicia being positioned so as to :be aligned respecrtively with said first and second pluralities of aligned control members when said cover is in its open position, thereby to indicate which control member of each of said pl-uralities of control members should be used when a particular type of article is inserted into said container.

4. A treating device having a cabinet, a control panel secured to said cabinet on the top surface thereof, a plurality of aligned control members on said control panel for selectively providing different conditions within said device, said members having different indicia respectively associated therewith, a container within said cabinet for receiving articles to be treated, said cabinet having an opening in its top surface for providing access to said container, a cover hingedly mounted on said cabinet top surface and pivotable between an open position in which said opening is uncovered and a closed position in which said opening is covered, said cover being closely adjacent said control panel when in its open position, said cover having a first plurality of aligned indicia on its inner surface corresponding to the indicia associated with said control members, said cover having a second plurality of indicia respectively associated with said first plurality of indicia and indicating different articles to be treated, said plurality of indicia being positioned on said surface so as to be aligned with said aligned control members when said cover is in its open position, thereby to indicate which control member shall be used when a particular type of anticle is inserted into said container.

OTHER REFERENCES Appliance Manufacturer, pages 33-35, Volume 9, Number 1, January 1961. 

1. A TREATING DEVICE HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED CONTROL MEMBERS FOR SELECTIVELY PROVIDING DIFFERENT CONDITIONS WITHIN SAID DEVICE, SAID MEMBERS HAVING DIFFERENT INDICIA RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, A CABINET, A CONTAINER WITHIN SAID CABINET FOR RECEIVING ARTICLES TO BE TREATED, SAID CABINET HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN FOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAID CONTAINER, A COVER MOUNTED ON SAID CABINET AND MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH SAID OPENING IS UNCOVERED AND A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH SAID OPENING IS COVERED, SAID COVER HAVING A FIRST PLURALITY OF ALIGNED INDICIA ON A SURFACE THEREOF CORRESPONDING TO THE INDICIA ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONTROL MEMBERS, SAID COVER HAVING A SECOND PLURALITY OF INDICIA RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF INDICIA AND INDICATING DIFFERENT ARTICLES TO BE TREATED, SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF 